An`te*ced"ent (&?;), a. [L.
antecedens, -entis, p. pr. of antecedere: cf. F.
antécédent.] 1. Going before in
time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the
Deluge; an antecedent cause.
2. Presumptive; as, an antecedent
improbability.
Syn. -- Prior; previous; foregoing.
An`te*ced"ent, n. [Cf. F.
antécédent.] 1. That which goes
before in time; that which precedes. South.
The Homeric mythology, as well as the Homeric language, has
surely its antecedents.
Max Miller.
2. One who precedes or goes in front.
[Obs.]
My antecedent, or my gentleman usher.
Massinger.
3. pl. The earlier events of one's life;
previous principles, conduct, course, history. J. H.
Newman.
If the troops . . . prove worthy of their
antecedents, the victory is surely ours.
Gen. G. McClellan.
4. (Gram.) The noun to which a relative
refers; as, in the sentence "Solomon was the prince who built the temple,"
prince is the antecedent of who.
5. (Logic) (a) The first or
conditional part of a hypothetical proposition; as, If the earth is fixed,
the sun must move. (b) The first of the two
propositions which constitute an enthymeme or contracted syllogism; as,
Every man is mortal; therefore the king must die.
6. (Math.) The first of the two terms of a
ratio; the first or third of the four terms of a proportion. In the ratio
a:b, a is the antecedent, and b the
consequent.
